An English Werewolf in Santa Barbara
by moondragon23
Summary: A run in with a crazed gang member puts Shawn in a hairy situation. As he struggles to deal with the changes happening to him, he finds himself in the middle of a war between two rival werewolf packs. As the fighting escalates, he'll be forced to join a side in order to keep his friends and family safe.
1. Chapter 1

** I do not own Psych or any of its characters. All other publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**I'm trying not to post WIPs any more because of how long I've been taking to finish them. This story is an exception because it is a birthday/Christmas gift for my wonderful friend and beta Redwolffclaw. I really hope you enjoy it.**

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><p>Shawn gasped as he ran down the street after the suspect, clutching a stitch in his side. Man, he was out of shape. Maybe he should take Jules up on joining her for her morning runs. Then again, that would require getting up at an ungodly early hour. He should start small, taking a short walk every day after lunch. Yeah, that sounded more reasonable.<p>

"Stop! Police!"

Up ahead, Lassiter and Juliet were closing in on the suspect. Eddie Baker, long time gang member and now murderer, had led them on a long chase through downtown already. Shawn wondered how he wasn't a gasping, sweating mess like himself. "Gus, remind me – to ask – this guy – how he got into – such good – shape," he gasped out between breaths.

Gus, who was running along beside him and not breathing nearly as hard (the jerk), shook his head. "I'm not asking a murderer for workout tips." He glanced over at Shawn. "You could try cutting out the extra churro."

"You had – four – too," Shawn protested. He didn't have any extra air left to argue further and decided instead to concentrate all his energy on catching up with Lassiter and Juliet.

Baker darted between a couple of women and past a tourist place selling souvenirs, knocking one of the displays over behind him. Juliet, who had to dart around the women, didn't see the obstacle until she was tripping over it.

"Jules!" Shawn put on a burst of speed to catch up with his fallen girlfriend.

By the time he got there, Lassiter was already pulling her to her feet and looking around for their murder suspect. "Where the hell did he go?" He pulled out his radio. "Did anyone see where Baker went?"

"Negative. No sign of him," was the crackled response.

"Son of a bitch!" Lassiter cursed, shoving the radio back onto his belt.

Shawn stopped, bending over as he struggled to catch his breath. "You – okay – Jules?"

"Yeah, Shawn, I'm fine," she said, looking at him worriedly. "Are _you_ okay?"

Shawn waved at her. "Just a little – out of – breath."

"He's not in great shape," Gus said, panting next to him.

Shawn forced himself to straighten up to glare at him. As he did, movement further down the street caught his attention. Taking a couple steps to the left, he saw Baker stand up from where he had been crouched behind a garbage can and dart down an alley. "He's over there!" he shouted and forced his tired body to resume the chase.

"Spencer!" Lassiter called, chasing after him.

Shawn pointed down the street. "This alley opens – around the – corner."

Luckily, he didn't need to say more. Lassiter waved to O'Hara. "This way! We'll cut him off!"

The two detectives veered off, leaving Shawn and Gus to follow Baker into the alley.

"Is this a good idea?" Gus asked nervously as they ran.

"No," Shawn panted back. "But we can't – let him – get away."

Up ahead, their alley met with another one running along the back of the stores. A fence to their left blocked the way, forcing them and Baker to the right. As the turned the corner, they could see Baker ahead of them. He was already almost to the street.

"Damn, he's fast," Gus said.

Juliet and Lassiter came into view and both immediately pulled their guns. "Stop! Keep your hands where I can see!" Lassiter shouted.

Baker came to a halt, glaring at the detectives and letting loose a low growl. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides and he crouched down as if preparing to attack.

Shawn and Gus came to a stop a few yards away. "Dude, he's not crazy enough to take on two cops with guns, is he?" Gus asked incredulously.

Baker turned his head sharply, looking back at the two of them. He glanced at the two cops slowly advancing on him, then turned to face them.

"Uh, oh," Gus said, slowly starting to back away.

Baker let loose a snarl and headed straight for them. Apparently, he saw Shawn and Gus as the lesser threat and as such easier to get past.

Gus immediately shrieked and ducked behind the nearest dumpster. Shawn tried to run, but his legs were rubbery from the long chase and he stumbled. Someone fired, the shot glancing off Baker's shoulder before he was on top of Shawn.

They fell to the alley floor. Shawn had hoped Baker would keep running now that he had taken Shawn down but apparently the crazed killer still saw Shawn as a threat. Baker's head jerked forward, teeth snapping way too close to Shawn's left ear. He put up his arms to fend off another attack and screamed when Baker sunk his teeth into his right forearm. He drew his knee up and hit Baker in a very vulnerable spot but the man barely reacted. He punched Baker in the side and that at least earned him a grunt. Baker grabbed his free arm and pinned it to the ground and dug his teeth deeper into him.

He screamed again, struggling to get free. Blood was dripping down his arm and onto his face and he shook his head to clear his vision. Baker's eyes had a weird yellowish sheen to them and Shawn swore his teeth looked longer and sharper than normal.

"Shawn!"

"Spencer!"

"Jules! Lassie! Get him off me," Shawn cried.

Lassiter and Juliet each grabbed an arm but Baker refused to let go. It wasn't until Lassiter placed the gun against his head that Baker finally spit it his arm.

Shawn quickly scrambled backwards out of the way as Lassiter and Juliet pinned Baker to the ground. Baker continued to struggle as Lassiter forced him into handcuffs. "Stay down," he ordered as Juliet cautiously pulled back. Baker continued to fight so Lassiter passed off his radio and stayed on top of him, physically holding him down. "Get back up over here now." He glanced over at Shawn. "And call an ambulance."

Shawn leaned back against the alley wall, cradling his injured arm carefully against his chest. "It's safe to come out now, Gus," he called out.

Gus cautiously emerged from behind the dumpster, giving Baker and Lassiter a wide berth as he walked over to Shawn. He froze when he got a good look at him. "You're bleeding."

"Thanks, I hadn't noticed," Shawn said irritably.

Juliet crouched down next to him. "The ambulance will be here in five minutes. Can I see your arm?" He carefully extended it towards her and Juliet winced. "He really did a number on you." She looked up into his eyes, studying his face carefully. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"Just my pride," Shawn said. He leaned his head back against the alley wall and fought the urge to cry. _Man up, Shawn. Do __**not**__ cry in front of Juliet. Wait until later to bawl like a little girl._

Sirens sounded from the end of the alley and Shawn opened his eyes to see two officers rushing toward him. "It's about time," Lassiter snapped, climbing off Baker so the two officers could get to him. "Get him in a squad car and town to the station." As the officers each grabbed an arm, he cautioned them, "Watch out, he bites. Just ask Spencer."

"We can handle it," the female officer said, though her partner eyed Baker warily. She looked over at Shawn, glancing at his arm, then up at his face. Something in her gaze made him feel uneasy, like a bug under a microscope. When she turned away, he let out a small sigh of relief.

Lassiter walked over to him. "Well, Spencer, I hope you're happy. Your interference is going to mean an extra three hours of paperwork."

"Carlton, he's hurt," Juliet rebuked, glaring at him.

Lassiter glanced at his arm and winced. "He wouldn't have gotten hurt if he had stayed back like he was told."

"If he had, we might not have caught Baker," Juliet argued.

Lassiter grimaced, as if the idea they needed Shawn's help was uncomfortable. "At least his arm wouldn't look like raw meat and I wouldn't have to explain to the Chief how I let him get hurt again."

"Guys, I'm right here," Shawn interrupted. "Can we just agree it was a stupid move and yell at me later?"

"Of course, sweetie," Juliet said, gently touching the side of his face. She glared at her partner.

Lassiter sighed. "Fine. But once you're out of the hospital, don't expect me to go easy on you." He nodded toward the entrance to the alley. "I'm going to make sure they can handle Baker."

The sound of more sirens approaching heralded the arrival of what Shawn hoped was the ambulance. His prays were answered when a medic hurried down the alley towards them. She crouched down at his side and gave him a friendly smile. "Hello Shawn, long time no see. What happened this time?" She hissed in sympathy when she saw his arm.

"You know, same old same old," Shawn said, gritting his teeth as she carefully examined his arm. "Got in a fight with a guy who thought he was an attack dog."

"I'd say more like a wolf." She grinned at his confused expression. "You know, like a werewolf?"

"Is that really possible?" Gus asked cautiously, standing far enough back he couldn't see any blood.

"Of course not," Juliet said dismissively. She watched the medic studying Shawn's arm. "How bad is it, Susan?"

"The human mouth is a filthy place and this guy really tore into his arm good," Susan said with a frown. Her partner crouched down next to her with the first aid kit. "About time, Jeff. I need gauze and some roller bandages. We need to bandage his arm as best we can before we take him to the hospital."

"Do I have to?" Shawn asked reluctantly. He hated hospitals and as bad as his arm looked, he had been hoping they could just clean it up and send him off.

Susan gave him a sympathetic look. "You're going to need stitches and the wounds need to be cleaned to prevent infection. You don't want your arm falling off, do you?"

Shawn swallowed nervously. "No?"

Juliet grabbed some gauze and gently wiped the blood off Shawn's face. "You'll be fine, Shawn."

Susan tied off the last bandage and threw the leftover supplies back in the kit. "Who's going with him?"

Shawn looked pleadingly at Juliet. "I can't," she said. "I have to help Carlton with Baker and see if we can get any information from him. We know he didn't act alone."

Shawn sighed. "Will you come get me later?"

Juliet smiled. "Of course."

"I'll go with him," Gus said. He had moved closer once most of the blood had been cleaned up and was looking at Shawn worriedly.

"Oh, sure, now you'll stand by me," Shawn said acidly. "Where were you when Baker was gnawing my arm off?"

"Not becoming a human chew toy," Gus said. "That guy wouldn't back off until Lassie had a gun to his head. Do you really think I could have done anything?"

Shawn sighed. He hated when Gus got all logical. "No." Juliet helped him to his feet and he held out his good fist. "We good?"

Gus bumped his fist. "We're good."

"O'Hara, let's go!" Lassiter called from the entrance to the alley.

"I'll call you when I'm on my way over," Juliet said, giving him a quick kiss.

Susan and Jeff led him slowly out of the alley. Now that his arm had been somewhat treated, the rest of his body was starting to chime in. He was incredibly stiff, both from the running and being tackled by a 180 pound psycho on drugs.

He glanced around at the small crowd held back behind the police cars. Man, people would stop and gawk at anything. His gaze was drawn past the crowd to an older man and young women standing on the steps of an apartment building. He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling they were different than the rest of the crowd milling around the alley entrance.

"Do you want me to call your dad?" Gus asked.

Shawn turned to him in astonishment. "Are you kidding? That is the last thing I want. All he's going to do is yell at me for being irresponsible and try to get the Chief to ban me from cases for a while."

"He's going to find out eventually," Gus said.

"Yes, which means I won't have to deal with him now when I'm sore and don't even have any nice drugs to make his words sound all fuzzy." Shawn stared at the back of the ambulance and sighed. It wasn't that far a step up but he wasn't sure he could lift his leg that high.

"Need help?" Susan asked. When he nodded, she climbed into the back and reached down to help pull him up. "Settle on the cot and I'll get you belted in."

Shawn laid back, letting her do her work. A glance around the interior showed several changes since the last time he had ridden in this particular ambulance. And even given his near eidetic memory, it was depressing that he noticed. "Will you use the siren?"

"Only if we need to." Susan rolled her eyes at Shawn's pout. "Sorry, but your injury isn't life threatening. Maybe next time."

"Don't jinx it," Gus muttered, sitting next to his friend.

Susan closed the doors and her partner started to drive. Shawn winced as they hit a bump and it jostled his arm. "Thanks for coming with me," he said quietly.

"That's what friends do," Gus said, entirely too innocently.

Shawn narrowed his eyes. "You just want to hit on the hot nurses."

Gus thumbed the side of his nose. "You know that's right. Someone has to capitalize on your injury with the ladies."

"I have a girlfriend," Shawn reminded him. "Who I'm sure will be very attentive to me the next few days."

Susan shook her head. "You two are both horrible."

Shawn grinned, then gasped when they hit another bump and pain burned through his arm. "Gus, remind me to wear arm guards next time we chase after a suspect."

"Or we could leave chasing them to the police," Gus suggested hopefully.

"Come on, son. The cops would have lost him without us." Though privately, Shawn wasn't opposed to letting the police take the lead for a while, at least until his arm healed. It was throbbing hard enough now he could almost hear it. He laid his head back and shut his eyes. "So what's your plan for the nurses?"

Gus immediately launched into his complicated plan to gain sympathy, and hopefully some phone numbers, from the nurses for Shawn's plight. Shawn listened, providing tips now and then, and even Susan chimed in a couple times. It provided a much needed distraction from the pain and once again he was grateful to have Gus for a friend. Maybe later, once he was on drugs he could blame, he would remember to tell him that.

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><p>Admiral and Minx had followed the chase from a distant. They circled around instead of going down the alley, following the cops instead of the two men chasing their pack mate. When the cops entered the alley, they hung back and listened.<p>

Admiral could hear someone yelling and the sounds of a struggle. When one of the cops radioed for backup to help subdue their suspect, Minx sighed. "They got Eddie."

Admiral shrugged. "He was becoming too much of a liability with the drug use."

"The boss still isn't going to be happy," she said.

He winced. "No, he isn't."

Two cops cars screeched to a halt near the alley and Admiral could hear the distant sirens of an ambulance coming closer. The two kept their distance as a couple of the cops stayed on the street to keep the crowd back as the rest went down the alley to help their comrades. They found a good vantage point a little further down the street on the steps of an apartment building; far enough away the cops were unlikely to notice them but close enough to see what was going on with their above average eye sight.

Eddie was soon led out of the alley in handcuffs, struggling as he was forced into the back of a cop car. Admiral watched as one cop walked off while the other glanced around casually and pulled out her cell phone.

His lip curled in disgust. "Filthy traitor."

Minx glanced at him. "Don't even think of starting something. There are too many humans around with guns. All they'll see is another crazy gang member attacking a cop."

Admiral glared at her. "I'm not stupid. Unlike Eddie, I know how to wait and attack when I have the advantage."

"Good." Minx turned back to the scene. "I don't want to lose another pack mate today."

The ambulance arrived and a medic jogged quickly down the alley. Her partner grabbed a first aid kit and followed after her.

"Looks like someone got hurt," Minx commented.

Admiral snorted. "I'm not surprised with how wasted Eddie is. We're lucky he didn't kill anyone or change on the street."

"He wasn't so out of control he would do that," Minx said, though with a hint of uncertainty.

Admiral didn't say anything. A few minutes later, the medics reappeared, leading a brown-haired man slowly to the ambulance. Another darker skinned man was following behind but he didn't appear to be injured.

The first man glanced around at the crowd, then looked past it to where they were standing. He stared at them, then turned away as his friend said something.

Admiral frowned. It was unusual for a human to pick them out so easily. He looked the man over, eyes narrowing as he focused on his arm. "Minx, your eyes are better than mine. Look at his arm."

Minx studied the man for a moment before her eyes widened. "You don't think he was bite, do you?"

"I can't tell with the bandage on." The man was loaded into the ambulance along with his friend and they headed off to the hospital. "Follow them. Find out who he is and how he was hurt."

Minx nodded. "On it." She slipped away from his side and disappeared into the crowd. A minute later she passed by in a gray Honda.

Admiral watched as the car holding Eddie left. Another car pulled up and the two cops who had been chasing Eddie got into it. The last pair of cops stayed, working on dispersing the crowd.

Admiral left too, having seen everything he needed to. He would need to report back to the boss about what happened and get in touch with Sniffer. Once Minx got him a name, Sniffer could get all the information they needed on this potential new player on the field.

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><p>Officer Rosalee Monroe shoved Eddie into the back of the car. He snarled at her, snapping his teeth. "Calm down," she ordered, putting a touch of command into her voice. He growled quietly but settled back into the seat.<p>

Her partner, Officer Ethan Douglas, looked at her over the top of the car and raised an eyebrow. "He's a feisty one, ain't he?"

"Probably high on something," Rosalee said, having smelt the bitter tang of drugs in Eddie's scent. The fact that the moon was full tonight wasn't helping matters either. She hoped he wouldn't lose control and change. That would be disastrous for both sides.

"Douglas!" Lassiter called, glaring from the entrance to the alley.

Ethan grimaced. "I better go find out what his high and mighty lordship wants."

Rosalee's phone vibrated in her pocket. "Just don't let him hear you call him that." She waited until her partner was out of sight and glanced around casually. Nobody was paying much attention to her. She slipped her cell phone of her pocket and glanced at the text.

_**What's the situation?**_

_**Contained. No exposure.**_ she replied.

_**Any complications?**_

She watched the medics pull up and hurry down the alley. _**One. Someone bit.**_

_** Did Eddie change?**_

She glanced inside the car. Eddie appeared human right now though the scent of wolf was strong around him. _**If he did, then not fully.**_

_**Keep me posted. Watch for any signs of infection.**_

"Yes, sir," she murmured. She took a deep breath, freezing when she caught a whiff of another wolf. She tilted her head slightly and used her peripheral vision as much as possible. There, on the steps of the apartment building. They were probably a couple of members of Eddie's pack.

Ethan came back over to the car. "His lordship has given us permission to go."

Rosalee grinned. "One of these days, he's going to find out you call him that. I just hope I'm out of the line of fire when he does."

"I'm not suicidal; I only call him that among people who won't report it back to him," Ethan said.

Rosalee saw the medics lead Spencer out of the alley towards the ambulance. "Do you know how bad he was hurt?" she asked, nodding towards them.

Ethan turned to look. "Bad enough it made Lassiter grouchy," he said. "He hates having to do the extra paperwork."

Rosalee shook her head. For a human, her partner could be very unobservant. Lassiter had a grudging respect for Spencer and saw him as part of the team. He hated when anyone he felt responsible for got hurt, even if he tried to cover it up. Judging by how worried Lassiter had smelt the last time Spencer got hurt, she would almost call them friends.

Once the ambulance left, she slapped the roof of the car. "Let's get going before Lassie has something else to complain about."

"And you call me suicidal," Ethan muttered, getting into the car. "If he hears you call him that, he'll murder you."

Eddie snarled at them. Rosalee fought the urge to snarl back. "Pipe down!" she shouted instead. She grinned at her partner. "I watch who I say things around too."

As they pulled out, they passed the apartment building, now with only one person on the steps. She would have to find the time later to update her leader about them. If Spencer had indeed been infected, they would have to move quickly to get to him before the others did. She did not want to lose a potential new ally to those raving animals.

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><p><strong>I really love werewolves and have most of the story planned out. I know my promises are not worth much anymore but I don't see myself losing interest in this story any time soon. As long as life doesn't interfere, I hope to update fairly regularly.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Merry Christmas everyone! Here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. **

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><p>"I will cut open your belly and feast on your entrails!"<p>

Lassiter grimaced. He had received many threats in his years as a police officer but this one was more graphic then he was used to. "And how exactly to you plan to do that cuffed to a chair?"

Baker snarled and tugged on his chains. The cuffs he had originally been in had been quickly replaced with the sturdier manacles and chains soon after he entered the station. Somehow, he had managed to snap the cuffs and tried to attack a suspect in a B & E. They had barely been able to restrain him a second time. Whatever drugs he was on was making him much stronger than he had any right to be.

On the positive side, the B & E suspect had cracked right away when the arresting officer threatened to put him in a holding cell with Baker.

"Do you really think you should antagonize him like that?" O'Hara asked quietly.

"We haven't been able to get anything out of him so far," Lassiter answered quietly back. "Maybe if gets angry enough, he'll let something slip." He stood up and braced his hands on the table. "Look, you low-life scum. We have your DNA all over the victim's body. You attacked a police consultant in front of two officers. You're going away for a long time. Tell us who was with you and maybe we can make it so your life won't be a living hell."

Baker spat at him. "I would never betray my pack mates."

It was an odd thing to call his fellow gang members. Maybe their leader had some kind of cult thing going on. That would just be perfect; he hated fanatics. "Your friends weren't much help when we were chasing you down." Lassiter smirked. "In fact, it's almost like they left you to the wolves."

That got more of a reaction than he was expecting. Lassiter took a startled step back as Baker lunged forward with a snarl, pulling on the chains hard enough the chair frame started to bend. "You don't know anything about wolves. But you will, when my pack mates come to free me and tear out your throat in revenge. I'll laugh while you're bleeding out on the floor." He threw his head up and howled at the ceiling.

The sound raised the hairs on the back of Lassiter's neck and he fought to contain a shiver. "This is a waste of time," he said, forcing his tone to sound bored. He deliberated turned his back on Baker, hiding his discomfort, and walked to the door. "Johnson, take him back to his holding cell and keep an eye on him." He watched the officer walk over to Baker, who was starting to snarl again, and jerked his head at O'Hara. "Let's go."

As they headed back upstairs, O'Hara called to McNab. "Johnson might need some help with Baker," she said, glancing towards the interrogation room.

"Sure thing, detective," McNab said, giving her a grin before hurrying down the hallway.

They were both big, sturdy men. Even so, Lassiter hoped the two of them would be enough to restrain the psycho.

"That could have gone better," O'Hara said when they reached his desk.

"Your approach didn't work either," Lassiter grumbled. Baker had ignored his partner, besides some disturbing comments about how she smelled. That may have contributed to his eagerness to take the tough cop approach.

"What should we do now?"

"We're not going to be able to get anything from Baker until he comes down off whatever he's high on," Lassiter said. "You might as well head over to the hospital to check on Spencer."

"Are you sure?" O'Hara asked. "I can try another search in the database. Maybe this time something will pop up." He admired her for trying to be helpful but her tone and body language betrayed how much she wanted to leave.

"Go on. You're no use to me if your mind's on him instead of your work." He sat down at his desk and opened the case file. "I'll let you know if I find out anything."

O'Hara hugged him, pulling away before he could protest. "Thanks Carlton." She hurried over to her desk to grab her coat and keys. "I'll let you know how he is," she said as she rushed out the door.

Lassiter shook his head. He didn't like Spencer much but he hoped the consultant wasn't too badly hurt. This case was tricky enough without O'Hara being distracted. Not that he wouldn't be the same if Marlowe was injured but he needed his partner at her best. And if he was being completely honest, they probably needed Spencer's help as well.

Lassiter frowned. They had found the body of a young woman in a park near her house. She had been beaten, raped and had her throat ripped out by some kind of large canine. This was the fourth such attack this month and the first one with a DNA match. Eddie Baker had been in the system already for vandalism and assault but the other three DNA traces found on the bodies came up with no matches. They suspected it was the work of a new gang in the area, the Lupins.

After Baker's comments earlier, he realized they were probably right. The Latin name for wolf was Canis lupis and it was likely what the gang name was derived from. Baker must have ditched the Aces and joined the new big bad group in town.

He just hoped his other hunch about it being some kind of cult was not also proven correct.

"Detective!" McNab ran up to him, his face pale. "Baker's dead."

"What?" Lassiter hurried down to the holding cells with McNab trailing behind him. He stopped short when he entered the room and slowly walked to Baker's cell.

Baker was lying on the ground, eyes staring sightless upward, face contorted in rage. The line around his neck and the red spots in his eyes showed that he had been strangled.

Lassiter turned on Officer Johnson. "You were supposed to be watching him! Where the hell were you?"

"I only left the room for five minutes," Johnson stammered. "Everything was fine, I swear."

Lassiter turned away before he gave in to his urge to punch him. Freaking idiot. Baker was their only lead on these murders and now they had nothing. "McNab," he barked. "Put the station on lockdown. The killer could still be in here." He was a hit with a strong sense of déjà vu and hoped they weren't looking at another murder committed by a cop. At least this time he wasn't a suspect.

He exited the room and saw a crowd of officers already forming. "Ramirez, I want you to stand guard here. No one is to enter until forensics goes over the room."

"Yes sir!"

"The rest of you, we are going to sweep this station from top to bottom." He assigned groups to each area of the station and sent them out to search. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. This was a complete disaster.

"Sir?"

Lassiter glared at Johnson, getting a vicious pleasure when he wilted under his gaze. "You had better have a good excuse for why a murder suspect was killed on your watch." He cut him off with a wave of his hand before he could talk. "Wait in Interrogation Room A until I have time to deal with you."

Johnson swallowed nervously and nodded before scurrying off down the hallway.

Procedure said Johnson was a suspect and Lassiter should have a guard assigned to watch him. His instincts and years of experience told him Johnson was innocent, of the murder at least. He was definitely guilty of leaving his post while on duty but it would be up to the Chief to decide on his punishment.

Lassiter groaned. He would have to call Vick about this and she would not be happy. He pulled out his phone, debating whether he should call her now or what until the search was done.

"Lassiter!" Dobson waved from the end of the hallway. "We found something!"

He shoved his phone back in his pocket and hurried over to him. Dobson led him towards the morgue, then took a sharp left. "Over here." Dobson pointed to where Morris was guarding the open emergency exit.

Lassiter stepped cautiously out the door, making sure not to touch anything. The door opened onto the rear of the building, on the far edge of the parking lot. A small patch of trees separated them from the neighboring buildings and provided the perfect cover for a getaway.

"Stupid to have left that there," he muttered. If he was Chief, he would have made sure there was an unobstructed view surrounding the station on all sides in case of just this situation. Looking up, he spotted a security camera pointed at the door. At least they had gotten that right.

"Have someone pull the security footage from this camera and the holding cells," he told Dobson. "Hopefully, we caught the killer on one of them."

Dobson nodded. "We also found this." He led Lassiter a few steps towards the woods and pointed to something on the ground.

Lassiter took a pencil from inside his jacket and crouched down. He carefully lifted the edge of the piece of wire. "Looks like piano wire."

"Commonly used for strangulations," Dobson pointed out.

Lassiter stood. "Get forensics out here to check for clues once they're done with the holding cell." They headed back into the building where Morris was waiting. "Make sure nobody disturbs the scene until forensics gets here," he told him.

"Yes sir."

Lassiter sighed as he headed back upstairs. "Time to call Vick?" Dobson asked.

Lassiter glared at him. "Didn't I give you an order?"

Dobson gave him a consoling pat on the back and headed for the security room.

Officers came up to him, giving negative reports of their searches of the building. He left Anderson in charge of collecting the reports. He was pretty sure the suspect had already escaped but he wouldn't lift the lock down until everyone had reported in.

He retreated to the Chief's office and closed the door. Time to face the music. He took out his phone and dialed.

"Chief. We have a problem."

* * *

><p>Juliet entered the ER and went up to the front desk. "Hi, I'm here to see a patient," she said, showing her badge. "Shawn Spencer?"<p>

"Let's see." She studied her computer screen. "Oh, you mean that Shawn. He's such a sweet guy. The doctor's in with him now, room 5."

The girl seemed to be new; Juliet hadn't seen her before on previous ER visits for her boyfriend. She was constantly amazed by how quickly Shawn made friends. "Thank you."

Walking down the hallway, she found the room easily, Shawn's voice echoing out into the hall. "Ow! Not so tight."

Entering the room, she found the doctor bandaging up Shawn's arm. Gus was standing next to his friend, pointedly not looking at the blood soaked bandages on the tray in front of the doctor.

Shawn smiled when she entered. "Jules! You're here!"

She took in the slightly glassy look to his eyes and his exuberant smile. "How are the pain meds?"

Shawn's smile widened. "Very nice. Ow!" He jerked his arm away from the doctor. "At least they are when Dr. Pokes-A-Lot isn't jabbing my poor arm."

"You're lucky you weren't here early," Gus muttered. "He was singing while the doctor stitched his arm."

Juliet raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid to ask."

"_Scent and a sound, I'm lost and I'm found and I'm hungry like the wolf_," Shawn sang loudly. Gus elbowed him in the side. "Ow! Why is everybody hurting me today?"

The doctor finished taping Shawn's bandage and stood to face her. "Detective, I'm Dr. O'Brien," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake. "I understand you were present when Shawn was attacked."

It was something she would never forget. Shawn had started screaming and her insides had frozen; she had been terrified she was going to lose him. When Carlton had held the gun to Baker's head, part of her hoped he would be forced to shoot him. She forced all those emotions down and kept a neutral expression on her face. "Yes, I was."

"Shawn told me a human bit his arm?" he asked.

She suppressed the mental image of Baker's teeth digging into Shawn's flesh, blooding dripping down his arm. "That's right," she said slowly.

The doctor frowned. "The wound has more aspects of a canine's bite pattern than a human's. Some of the punctures are almost an inch deep. Did the man have any unusual dental work?"

Juliet shook her head. "Not that I saw. Will that effect how you treat him?"

"The wounds themselves, no. But if it was an animal bite, I would recommend getting a rabies shot."

"Trust me, doc, this guy was human," Shawn assured him. "Crazy and on drugs, but human."

"You never know, he could have been rabid," Gus said. "There have been several rabid animals in Santa Barbara County in the past several years and the guy was part of a street gang. Maybe he was acting so crazy because he was infected."

"There has never been a documented case of rabies being transmitted from human to human through a bite," the doctor said. "Though I will have your blood tested for any other transmittable diseases to be safe."

"More needles?" Shawn asked nervously. Her boyfriend really didn't like pointy things.

The doctor shook his head. "We already took a sample earlier. We should have enough."

Shawn sighed in relief. "Good. So can I go now?"

The doctor glanced at Juliet. "You're running a slight fever. I would like to keep you overnight to make sure you're not developing an infection."

"Do I have to?" Shawn whined.

The doctor looked again at Juliet. "If you have someone to watch you tonight in case your fever gets worse, I can give you a course of oral antibiotics."

"I'll keep an eye on him," she promised.

"Cool! Hey Gus, guess what?" Shawn asked excitedly.

Gus sighed. "What?"

Shawn threw out his arms. "_Well I'm hot-blooded, check it and see. I've got a fever of a hundred and three._"

Gus groaned. "Not again Shawn."

"I'll get started on his discharge papers," the doctor said, beating a hasty retreat.

Juliet's phone started to ring. Glancing at it, she saw it was Carlton. "I'll be right back," she told Shawn, stepping out into the relatively quiet hallway to take the call. "Hey, Carlton."

Shawn's voice echoed loudly into the hallway as he reached the chorus until Gus quieted him down.

_"What was __**that**__?_"

"Shawn. The pain meds are putting him in a singing mood. They stitched up his arm and are giving him a dose of antibiotics to prevent infection. The doctor's getting the discharge papers now, then I'm taking him home."

"_Good_, _good,_" Carlton said, sounding distracted.

Juliet frowned. "What's wrong?"

"_Baker's dead._"

"What do you mean, he's dead?" A passing nurse gave her a reproving look and she lowered her voice. "How?"

"_Someone snuck in and strangled him in his cell."_

She felt guilty for leaving when she did but realistically knew her presence at the station wouldn't have prevented Baker's death. "Do you want me to come in?"

Carlton sighed. "_No. Stay with Spencer. I have forensics checking the room and body for clues and someone checking the security tapes. There is nothing you can do until we have more information._"

He was right, but Juliet still felt she should be there. "How did the Chief take it when you told her?"

Carlton paused. "_Not well,"_ he said slowly._ "She's on her way in now."_

Juliet winced. Vick hated being pulled away from her family. "If there is anything I can do, call."

"_I will._" With anyone else, she would assume they were just being polite. With Carlton, she knew he would call if he thought she could help. "_And O'Hara? Keep this from Spencer for now. Chief's orders._"

"Got it." She hung up the phone and became aware of how quiet it was. She turned around to see Shawn watching her. "Done singing?" she asked, dropping the phone in her pocket.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked.

"Carlton. He wanted to know how you are." She tried to keep her face blank to avoid giving anything away.

Shawn stared at her for a moment, then broke into a huge yawn. "Okay. Can we go now?" he asked sleepily.

"In a minute," she said. "Where's Gus?"

"Right here," Gus said, walking done the hallway towards them. "I turned in the discharge papers and got his prescription filled."

"Thanks," she said gratefully, taking the medication.

Shawn wrapped his good arm around her and rested his head against her shoulder. "Home now?"

Juliet patted her hand. "Yes, honey, we're leaving."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Gus said. "I'll stop by to check on you after my route."

"_Thank you_," Juliet mouthed at him.

"_No problem_," Gus said silently back

Shawn reached out and clasped Gus' shoulder. "I love you man."

Gus gently removed his hand. "I know. What about your girlfriend?"

Shawn looked up at Juliet and squeezed her tight. "I love you too. More than Gus because you do fun things with me in bed."

Gus grimaced. "And that is my cue to leave." He waved at her and headed quickly for the exit.

Juliet fought to keep from laughing. "Come on Shawn." She carefully led her boyfriend through the ER towards the door.

As they passed by the front desk, Shawn suddenly stopped and turned around.

"What's the matter?" Juliet asked.

"Nothing," Shawn said, shaking his head. "I thought I recognized her from somewhere."

"Who?"

"What?" Shawn asked, looking at her in confusion.

Juliet shook her head. "Never mind."

Shawn was quiet on the way home. Juliet guessed he had reached the stage where the drugs made him more sleepy than anything. It was strange, having him in the car and not talking. She was tempted to turn on the radio just so there would be some noise but he looked so cute with his head lolling against the window she didn't want to disturb him.

He was less cute when they got home and she had to struggle to get him inside and into the bedroom. She helped him undress and made sure he got the first dose of medication before tucking him into bed.

When she tried to move away, he grabbed her hand. "Stay?"

She smiled softly. "In a minute. Just let me get ready." She took care of the cats and changed into her pajamas as quick as she could but Shawn was still asleep by the time she got back to bed.

She slipped carefully between the sheets and cuddled up next to him. His skin felt warmer than normal, though not too hot. Still, she wondered if it might have been better if Shawn had stayed at the hospital.

Her boyfriend rolled over in his sleep towards, whimpering softly as he tried to hold her using his bad arm. She shifted closer, smiling when he sighed happily against the back of her neck. No, this was better, for both of them. Shawn was happy and relaxed and she would be here if anything happened to him.

Nestling back against Shawn's warm chest, she let out a happy sigh of her own as she drifted off to sleep.


End file.
